BRITISH AND IRISH FLAX CULTURE.—NO. 4. 
53 
in Maine, New Hampshire, and probably all the 
New England States. 
( b ) The following particulars concerning this in¬ 
sect were compiled by Dr. Harris, chiefly from 
Reaumur’s “ Memoires,” and from a work by 
Duhamel du Monceau and Tillet, who were com¬ 
missioned by the Academy of Sciences of Paris, in 
the year 1760, to inquire into the nature of the in¬ 
sect, on account of its ravages in Angoumoise, a part 
of France where it had long been known, and had 
multiplied to an alarming extent. The Angoumois 
moth, or Anacampsis cerealdla , in its perfected state, 
is a four-winged insect, about three-eighths of an 
inch long, when its wings are shut. It has a pair 
of tapering curved feelers, turned over its head. Its 
upper wings are narrow, of a light brown color, 
without spots, and have the lustre of satin; they 
cover the body horizontally above, but droop a 
little at the sides. The lower wings and the rest 
of the body are ash-colored. This moth lays its 
eggs, which vary in number from sixty to ninety, 
in clusters, on the ears of wheat, rye, and barley, 
most often while these plants are growing in the 
field, and the ears are young and tender; some¬ 
times also on stored grain in the autumn. Hence 
it appears that they breed twice a year; the insects 
from the eggs laid in the early part of summer, 
coming to perfection and providing for another 
brood of moth-worms in the autumn. The little 
worm-like caterpillars, as soon as they are hatched, 
disperse, and each one selects a single grain, into 
which it burrows immediately at the most tender 
parts, and remains concealed therein after the grain 
is harvested. It devours the mealy substance 
within the hull; and this destruction goes on so 
secretly, that it can only be detected by the softness 
of the grain or the loss of its weight. When fully 
grown this caterpillar is not more than one-fifth of 
an inch long. It is of a white color, with brown¬ 
ish head ; and it has six small jointed legs, and ten 
extremely small wart-like proplegs. Duhamel has 
represented it as having two little horns just be¬ 
hind the head, and two short bristles at the end of 
its tapering body. Having eaten out the heart of 
the grain, which is enough for all its wants, it 
spins a silken web or curtain to divide the hollow, 
lengthwise, into two unequal parts, the smaller 
containing the rejected fragments of its food, and the 
larger cavity serving instead of a cocoon, wherein 
the insect undergoes its transformations. Before 
turning to a chrysalis it gnaws a small hole nearly 
or quite through the hull, and sometimes also 
through the chaffy covering of the grain, through 
which it can make its escape easily when it becomes 
a "winged moth. The insects of the first, or sum¬ 
mer brood, come to maturity in about three weeks, 
remain but a short time in the chrysalis state, and 
turn to winged moths in the autumn, and at this 
time may be found, in the evening, in great num¬ 
bers, laying their eggs on the grain stored in barns 
and granaries. The moth-worms of the second 
brood remain in the grain through the winter, and 
do not change to winged insects till th£ following 
summer, when they come out, fly into the fields in 
the night, and lay their eggs on the young ears of 
the growing corn. When damaged grain is sown 
it comes up very thin ; the infected kernels never 
sprout, but the insects lodged in them, remain 
alive, finish their transformations in the field, and 
in due time come out of the ground in the winged 
form. 
BRITISH AND IRISH FLAX CULTURE.—No. 4. 
Steeping. —Mr. Henderson, of the county of 
Derry, stated that, flax is subject to injury from 
neglect, in every process, but in this especially. 
The water brought to the pond should be pure from 
all mineral substances, clean and clear. The water 
of large rivers is generally to be preferred, but 
spring water, which has run some hundred yards, 
becomes soft, and will have deposited any mineral 
impurities it contained. Immediately from the 
spring, it seldom does well. If the water be good 
and soft, it is injurious to allow it to stagnate in 
the pond, before steeping. I put in two layers, 
each somewhat sloped, with the root end of each 
downwards ; one layer is said to be safer, and per¬ 
haps is so, though I have tried both, and see no dif¬ 
ference. It should be placed rather loose than 
crowded in the pond, and laid carefully, straight 
and regular. Having an abundant supply of water, 
I do not let it into the pond till the first layer is in. 
I cover with moss sods (from the turf banks), laid 
perfectly dose ; the sheer of each fitted to the other. 
Thus covered, it never sinks to the bottom, nor is 
it affected by air or light. It is generally watered 
in 11 to 13 days. A good stream should, if possi¬ 
ble, always pass over the pond ; it carries off im¬ 
purities, and does not at all impede due fermentation 
—flood and all impure water should be carefully 
kept off. The Dutch test of being sufficiently 
watered is certain and perfect, at least I never found 
it otherwise. It is this :—Try some stalks of 
average fineness, by breaking the woody part in 
two places about three inches apart, at the middle 
of the length ; catch the "wood at the lower end, 
and if it will pull out (downward) for those three 
inches, freely, without breaking or tearing the 
fibre, it is ready to take out. This trial should be 
made every day, after fermentation subsides, for 
sometimes the change is rapid. Flax is more fre¬ 
quently injured by too little than too much of the 
water. Great care and neatness are necessary in 
taking out. Broken or crumpled flax will never reach 
the market. Spread the day it is taken out, unless it 
is heavy rain—light rain does little harm; but in 
any case, spread the next day, for it will heat in 
the pile, and that heating is destructive. 
The only real difficulty in steeping flax in 
Britain and Ireland, has arisen from the want of 
suitable steeping accommodation; and consequently, 
much flax has been injured both in color and 
quantity—a difficulty which the Belgians obviate 
by sending their flax to places adapted to this par¬ 
ticular branch of the business; distance to them 
being immaterial compared to the advantages de¬ 
rived. 
The water of the river Lys, to the extent of many 
miles along its banks, is the most celebrated deposi¬ 
tory for flax. Steeping is, to hundreds of men, a 
regular trade. Two, or more, unite in the posses¬ 
sion of a number of crates, adapted to a given ex¬ 
panse of water, for which they pay no rent, and 
are protected by government from the interference 
